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Kings River Park Is Getting a Fabulous $3 Million Makeover

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The state awarded Fresno County $3 million on Monday. Aug. 22, 2022, to renovate Choinumni Regional Park in Piedra. (Fresno County)
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The popular Choinumni Regional Park in the community of Piedra along the Kings River is getting a major face-lift.

State officials announced Monday morning that the Fresno County park will receive $3 million in Proposition 68 funding to renovate the campgrounds and build a multi-use trail.

In addition, the funding will build:

  • a sports complex with low-level lighting that includes courts for basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, and cornhole;
  • six cultural historical informational kiosks;
  • two picnic areas with shelters and lighting;
  • two playgrounds with low-level lighting, a walking loop, and a restroom.

Choinumni (pronounced “choy-num-nee”) Park is on Pine Flat Road 31 miles east of Fresno. The park, which encompasses 170 acres and includes fishing access, is named after the Choinumni tribe of Native Americans.

More Than $46 Million Awarded

California State Parks awarded $46.2 million for 25 regional and local parks on Monday after evaluating about $428 million in grant requests.

Kern County was among the recipients. It will receive nearly $2.7 million to improve Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area near Bakersfield. The upgrades include a new multi-use trail, splash pad, shaded and lighted picnic pavilion, dog park, flour floating docks, and erosion-control measures.

“Congratulations to the 25 communities receiving the grant funding,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero in a news release. “I look forward to seeing the projects come to fruition and for Californians to start enjoying them.

“Spending time in the outdoors not only helps us connect with our communities, but it can also support our mental and physical health. A healthier California is good for all of us.”

See All the Grant Recipients

You can view all the regional park grant recipients at this link.

The rural recreation and tourism grant recipients are at this link.

 

Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email